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The town of Danville recently issued a reminder to residents and business owners to register their security alarms with the town to comply with the ordinance that requires all residential and commercial alarms to be permitted.
The local law, enacted in 2012, also requires that all alarm systems are in working order. Alarm permits expire at the end of each calendar year, however, there is no cost to renew or register a permit, officials said.
The alarm administrator also sends out reminder renewal notices prior to alarm expiration, according to town officials.
According to a 2010 study, of the 2,297 burglar alarm calls that the Danville Police Department responded to that year, 2,264 were false. The report estimated that the cost for responding to the false alarms was $69,624 for 754 hours, department officials said.
The permits are to help with tracking false alarms and corresponding with residents to keep their systems operating properly as well as working to reduce the number of false alarms, according to officials.
Alarms can be registered or renewed by applying online or by picking up an application at the police department’s front counter Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
For more information about the alarm system ordinance, contact Jacklyn McDaniel, town alarm administrator and crime prevention specialist, at jmcdaniel@danville.ca.gov or 314-3707
Complete baloney. Anyone with an alarm that’s monitored has it “operating properly” and those of us with alarms do what we can to prevent false alarms. More hassle for law abiding citizens.
EVERY year seems excessive for everyone, including the Police Dept or City workers.
As a Taxpayer, I don’t want to pay the city to do that much paperwork at my expense.
How about each year for the first two initial years, then each 5 years? If a new homeowner or change in the alarm company or major change in the equipment, then re-start the initial period.
Why wouldn’t that work?
Why not just charge the false alarmers? If they charged $30.75 for each false alarm, they would have recouped their costs.
Sorry, but it’s just another BIG BROTHER control tactic.
just my opinion. Julia Pardini form Alamo
PS…I keep saying it, but I will say it again. I am so pleased we smart folks in Alamo voted down becoming a Town like Danville.
Oh by the way, What lucky friend of the town leaders got the cushion job as “Alarm Administrator” You folks in Danville are so Naive to the realities of life.
Too much regulation and government involvement. Next thing they will regulate how many times our doorbells ring. Why not charge those who have more than two false alarms in a year. That will make up for the lost revenue to the town.
That’s the way it started out at our other place. Now the fee is $25 per year.
Good afternoon,
Thanks for the comments and questions. I think there are a few misconceptions, so let me just take a moment and try to allay some of the concerns.
1. Anyone with an alarm that’s monitored has it working properly: As noted in the original article, out of 2297 alarms in 2010, 2264 were false. The vast majority of these false alarms were preventable, and responding to them ties up a significant chunk of your police department’s time.
2. Charging those with false alarms: Under the ordinance, multiple violations (repeat offenders) are indeed cited. But that’s not the motivation for this program. It’s not about raising revenues, it’s about reducing the number of false alarms. And it seems to be working. We went from having 2115 false alarms in 2011 to only 1599 in 2013. That’s a significant reduction in staff time spent going to false alarms.
3. Residents will be charged for the permits: The program has never had a registration fee. Again, this ordinance is NOT about raising or recouping revenue. It’s about making sure patrol officers are not spending an inordinate amount of time responding to false alarms.
4. There is someone whose only job is ‘alarm permit administrator’: There is NOT an employee who is an alarm permit coordinator. The administration of the program falls under the purview of our Crime Prevention Specialist Jacklyn McDaniel and it accounts for a very small amount of her time.
As Chief Simpkins told me, “If we never made a penny on this ordinance, I’d be thrilled.”
Let me just say one more time, this is not a program designed to make money for the Town of Danville. It’s just there to help free up time for officers to be patrolling, working and doing everything they can to keep Danville the safe Town it has always been.
Any questions, feel free to reach out to me.
Have a good day!
Geoff
Geoff Gillette
Public Information Coordinator
Town of Danville
(925) 314-3336
e-mail: ggillette@danville.ca.gov
Geoff (or McDaniel),
Please explain WHY the permit program needs to be EVERY YEAR continuously year after year forever?
Why not each year for the first two years, then every 5 years thereafter….or something like that.
What are the major causes of the “false” alarms? And how does the Permit Program reduce those causes?
And, for that matter, what is the definition of a “false” alarm?
(These Danville Express articles are often so deficient in accurate, useful details.)
How about a LINK to the appropriate town forms.
@FanDanville – Thanks for the question and apologies for the slow response.
The reason the permit program is annual, is for continuity. Homes change owners, people change alarm companies or get rid of their company. Having the permits updated each year gives us the best bet of having current information on homeowners/alarm companies. It also provides us with current contact information for the owners.
A false alarm is when the alarm system is triggered due to accident or error and not due to a person intentionally entering a residence illegally. False alarms are caused by a wide variety of reasons. Pets, wiring, windows left open, employees entering/exiting,and incorrect codes entered are just a few.
The permit program reduces the number of false alarms by maintaining an awareness by the owner of the need for using the system correctly, instructing employees and relatives in the correct use and making sure that the system is kept in proper working order. Multiple false alarms are cited, which serves as an incentive to the owner to correct the issue creating the false alarms.
Information on the alarm permit program and links to the downloadable forms are available on our website http://www.danville.ca.gov/Services/Permits/Alarm/.
Thanks again for the interest and questions.
Geoff
Geoff Gillette
Public Information Coordinator
Town of Danville
(925) 314-3336
email – ggillette@danville.ca.gov.
Geoff,
Thanks!
Save money on an alarm system and just go buy some “Alarm Company” signs on the internet. Place the signs in your front yard and some of the stickers on your windows.
Problem solved – no permit fees – no false alarms – and the burglars won’t know the difference.
Dan, I like that idea.